J.J. Crawford climbed as high as he could to make the pronouncement.

Perched last Saturday night atop a step ladder, just underneath a partially snipped state 3A championship net, the Rainier Beach freshman refused to display his souvenir of accomplishment, saying, “I have three more to go.”

If Crawford were to make good on such a goal – helping produce a state championship in each of his remaining three years at Beach – that would mean a five-peat with coach Mike Bethea presumably riding off into the sunset with 14 state titles.

Only three schools, in any Washington state classification, have ever three-peated, and Rainier Beach (2012-14), under Bethea, is one of them.

The biggest obstacle to becoming a double three-peater might be overcoming the departure of maybe the greatest high-school player in state history, Tyran Stokes.

Might be.

Even without Stokes, Rainier Beach will return a talented eight of their top 10 players next season. The way their state-tournament run shook out, the Vikings have already shared a glimpse into their near future.

Read Full Story at the South Seattle Emerald

Tyran Stokes wasn’t the game’s MVP or flashiest star. Still, his McDonald’s All-American Game performance was the stuff of dreams – at least for college coaches holding their breaths that he’ll soon choose them, then the pro scouts after that.

Project forward his role in the West’s 102-86 victory Tuesday night in Glendale, Ariz., and you just might see Stokes as a starting point guard, at least a very troublesome 6-foot-8, two-hundred-and-however-many-pounds combo guard, in an NBA All-Star Game, coming soon to an arena near you.

Stokes didn’t just stuff a couple of shots, he subtly stuffed the box score, tallying 12 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal.

In Seattle, we’ve become accustomed to seeing Tyran Stokes as a nightly fireworks show for Rainier Beach High School and that’s what the rest of the country already has seen, too. Playing on national TV against the top senior high-school players and prospects in the country, he revealed a side of himself that’s perhaps even more tantalizing: playmaker, crunch-time redeemer, a ticking timebomb impossible to diffuse that may not actually have to explode to wreak destruction.

Stokes played a lot like he did for Rainier Beach, deferring early on and trying to get his teammates involved, while talking on defense and making sure the ball moved on offense. He jumped in front of a pass and took the steal downcourt for a slam. He influenced shots and blocked a couple. When the game was on the line, then he really came to life.

It started less than a minute into the fourth quarter. Stokes had the ball in the right corner. He quickly faked left, then right, and exploded along the baseline for a reverse layup. He scored another reverse on a fast-break run-out, then made the best pass of the night, tossing a laser beam from beyond midcourt to Michigan-bound Quinn Costello for a layup.

Stokes followed that up with a well-executed cut down the lane for a pass and layup, and he closed his own scoring with 2:04 to play. Taking the ball at around the foul line, he dribbled it behind his back, spun all the way around, scored a layup through contact, and sank the free throw for a three-point play.

Jason Crowe Jr., who signed with Missouri, and Caleb Holt, who is headed down the road to Arizona, were named co-MVPs. They provided expected flash. Stokes offered something unexpected but undoubtedly more appreciated by people who would know the difference.

To further complicate this examination of Rainier Beach High School’s national relevancy, The Throne, the tournament from which the Vikings were disinvited, isn’t the only one that bills itself as a “national championship.” There is another, the Chipotle Nationals, that has been around longer – for 17 years. The Throne has been around since 2023.

They have one thing in common: Rainier Beach is not playing in either.

The marketing team at both events must be cursing their bad luck. Selling the Rainier Beach Vikings as a mix of excitement and high-profile players and coaches, with a touch of drama, would have been – if you will – a slam dunk.

Could they not simply run on loop some footage of KJ Hightower making a shot against Lincoln while seated on the Tacoma Dome floor?

The headliner, of course, is Tyran Stokes, not only the consensus No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class, but a McDonald’s and Naismith All-American, USA Basketball stalwart, and has an NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deal as a Nike Ambassador. He would have brought the drama of not yet having chosen his college destination to the beginning of the NCAA tournament (The Throne) or to the doorstep of its Final Four (Chipotle). There may be no more entertaining high-school player in the country.

With Stokes comes his “little bro,” JJ Crawford, who, if not the very best freshman in the nation, certainly is among the top 2-3. He’s just 15 years old but on the two biggest stages of this season so far, he had 32 points, 10 in overtime, in front of 23 NBA and 70 college scouts at the HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass., and a game-high 20 points in the state championship game.

Adding to Crawford’s story is his father, Jamal, the best player to ever come out of Seattle and, as a lead analyst on NBC broadcasts, one of the most recognizable faces in the NBA nation. Jamal Crawford assists coach Mike Bethea, the owner of 10 state title rings and a coaching icon in Washington state.

The Vikings run a legitimate nine players deep, sometimes 10, with virtually no fall off in speed and athleticism. After watching video this past week of the other top high-school teams in the country, I can confidently say that few speed up a game with its combination of athleticism, defensive pressure, and transition offense as does Rainier Beach.

I can’t imagine the crowds and media in New Jersey (The Throne) or Indiana (Chipotle) not falling in love with Vikings Micah Ili-Meneese and Kam Babbs the way everyone did at the Tacoma Dome. Ili-Meneese, or “Micah Jordan” to his fans, fulfilled long-prophesized overall greatness during the state tournament, and Babbs showed he was more than a high-wire act. Achilles Reyna had his best game in the championship and has the size, athleticism, and inside-out game that will have college scouts drooling.

The real crime of Rainier Beach’s exclusion from national tournament play is that Babbs, Crawford, Ili-Meneese, Reyna, as well as sophomore Knowledge Wright, don’t get to showcase their basketball wares before a national audience (in addition to scouts, the NBA app for The Throne, ESPN for Chipotle), especially at a time when Seattle seems to be closing in on regaining an NBA franchise.

In case it escaped notice, I just made a case for Rainier Beach being a factor in any national competition.

Beach’s additional appeal is something that many overlook: Rainier Beach is a public school. That’s usual on a national level, at least as represented in all the polls. Half of The Throne field is public schools; none are in Chipotle, which has more top-ranked schools from my mythical “national championship” field, 4-1.

By the way, I’m giving myself permission to edit my field. After watching the top teams go at it, I found a couple that should not be left out. The field that I’m sticking with: 1. St. Paul VI Catholic (Fairfax, Va.), 33-2; 2. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.), 30-1; 3. Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 24-1; 4. Prolific Prep (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 36-3; 5. AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.), 18-5; 6. Dynamic Prep (Irving, Tex.), 29-1; 7. The Principia School (St. Louis, Mo.), 29-2; 8. Rainier Beach (Seattle), 29-1.

Rainier Beach does not “qualify” based on my model of taking the teams with the highest average rankings from five polls (ESPN, MaxPreps, Rivals composite, SI, USA Today). But the point of this three-part exercise has been revealing the several biases that marginalize a high-school team like the Vikings.

Rainier Beach isn’t the only major team missing from the national-championship equation. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) finished what is considered one of the toughest gauntlets in the sport: winning California’s open division state championship. The Trailblazers have a compelling case for a national championship, but they cannot prove it on the court. California schools are not allowed to compete beyond the state’s championship tournaments.

My mythical national championship would have provided the Vikings an opportunity to square “the one that got away,” which is Sierra Canyon. Rainier Beach played in the Les Schwab Invitational in Portland during the holidays, presumably hunting for a semifinal matchup with the Californians. But the Vikings had only five relatively meaningless tuneups and were ambushed by Southridge (Oregon), which stands as the only blemish on their record.

The Vikings and Trailblazers have two common opponents – Southridge, which Sierra Canyon rolled by 25 in Portland, and Bishop McNamara, which provided Sierra Canyon’s only loss, but lost to Rainier Beach in Springfield, but was missing its top player, Qayden Samuels, a top 20 recruit. Sierra Canyon has two McDonald’s All-Americans, Maximo Adams and Brandon McCoy, who also is a Naismith All-American.

Every top team has great players, including Rainier Beach, which is what makes them elite. My No. 1 seed, St. Paul VI, has Jordan Smith Jr., who will remind old heads of former Sonic Ricky Pierce in build and mid-range magic. Paul VI shoots the three well, something that haunted Rainier Beach at times this season, but it split with my No. 3 seed, Cavalry Christian, and lost to No. 4 Prolific Prep.

I felt the least conviction including Cavalry Christian, especially at such a high seed. Their point guard, Cayden Daughtry, is an elite scorer but on the smallish side at 6 feet. And they’ve already lost in The Throne to a team, Long Island Luthern, that was ranked in none of the polls and entered the tournament with a 12-12 record. Long Island then lost in the championship game to Columbus of Miami, Fla., the team Sierra Canyon beat to win the Les Schwab Invitational.

Prolific is an athletic, trapping team that makes opponents play faster than they want to, something we also say about the Vikings. Prolific is led by 6-5 Caleb Holt, a McDonald’s and Naismith All-American, and the smooth but spindly 6-7 Bruce Branch III, another McDonald’s All-American. Prolific was taken down at the HoopHall Classic by Dynamic Prep, which is led by Austin Goosby, a McDonald’s All-American headed to Texas. Dynamic is a bit of an enigma in that it made the championship of last year’s Chipotle, plays a bit of a national schedule, then morphs into a team called FaZe that plays in the Overtime Elite League, and is coached by Jermaine O’Neal, who played in the NBA (17 years) almost as long as Jamal Crawford.

Wedged between the Preps, Prolific and Dynamic, is another, AZ Compass Prep, which is, like the other two, basically a basketball academy. The Arizona version is led by twins Kaden and Kalek, the sons of Eddie House, who played 11 years in the NBA. Kaden House is headed to Maryland, is an outstanding defender, and always in go-mode on offense. The House twins are more than supported by lean, 6-7 Demarcus Henry, who is ranked among the top 10-15 recruits in the 2027 class.

My final team, Principia School, plays well together and can fill it up in a hurry, but not necessarily because they always are in overdrive. This team can shoot, and the best of them is Quentin Coleman, a four-star guard headed to Wake Forest who had a season high of 50 points.

The difference between all these teams and Rainier Beach is minimal on a basketball court. Off the court, it’s potentially monumental. The other seven schools are either private or sport-focused academies – the two types of programs that Stokes fled to attend Rainier Beach. That means they can promise a lot more sweeteners, putting them in the national picture every year, which adds to their branding.

But, let’s face it, if you are purporting to be a national expert on high-school boys basketball, and do not instantly recognize the Rainier Beach “brand,” which includes 11 state championships and seven first-round NBA draft picks, among so many other things, maybe you should take your expertise somewhere more appropriate, like tournament director for The Throne.

The National Case for Beach, Part I

The National Case for Beach, Part II

“Best in the nation” is a fraught term, inviting all sorts of biases, depending on what you’re measuring, how you’re measuring, and who’s doing the measuring (and from where).

When someone is declared the “best prospect in the nation,” that tends to ring true. College basketball generates more than $1 billion a year. You’d best believe that the processes and resources are in place to evaluate the talent that keeps the big-money machine cranking.

But high-school basketball? Not so much, not yet, the exception being that college recruits of course come out of high school. There are some differences between what a player is today and how a player projects to another level. However, a lot of the physical and mental qualities that bode well for the future also bode well for the present. Some would say that performance and success, on the team and individual level, aren’t always good predictors of longer-term excellence but, believe me, coaches and college scouts pay attention to them, too.

I just spent a whole season watching Tyran Stokes play for Rainier Beach High School. He was declared the consensus best senior prospect in the nation before he arrived in Seattle. All that’s happened since has computed for me, given the role I had, as outlined in Part I, in shaping the coverage and actual execution of scouting college prospects.

Stokes doesn’t just have every physical attribute and skill you could want and imagine, he has some you couldn’t imagine that you could want. That is, preternaturally advanced basketball IQ, as well as outlier talent, for catching a basketball thrown from any angle and speed, and attracting contact from defenders, anywhere on the court. He also performed spectacularly, averaging 30.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 3.4 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game, setting the school single-game scoring record with 63 points, and executing dunks of every degree-of-difficulty quotient possible.

Yet one major national player of the year award already has been announced – the Naismith by the Atlanta Tip-Off Club – and it did not go to Stokes. It went to a player, Jordan Smith Jr., who is ranked a spot or two below Stokes as a prospect, whose statistics weren’t nearly as sterling, and whose team, St. Paul VI Catholic of Chantilly, Va., suffered one more loss than did Stokes’ 29-1 Rainier Beach Vikings.

So how does that happen (he asks, as others ask how Rainier Beach can be disinvited from a “national championship” tournament)? It could be as simple as Atlanta being on the East Coast and Chantilly being 10 hours north, on the same coast. East Coast bias is a thing, regional bias is a thing, proximity bias is a thing. During decades of visiting the East Coast for work, and attending grad school out there, I’ve met dozens upon dozens who believe that the West is so spread out, it’s inhabitants must be soft. The density of the East translates, to those who live there, to density of talent, resources, and circumstances producing the dog-eat-dog grind that chews up pretenders and spits out champions.

Except, after years of traveling the country in search of team and individual talent, I can honestly say that I’ve seen some gawdawful teams in the East Coast hot beds that had reputations for being otherwise. I also can say that one of the major accomplishments of ESPN HoopGurlz was lifting the veil on West Coast talent. We were celebrated for it, by coaches from every region in the country. And it wasn’t as if we focused on our own backyard, if there was such a thing (our staff had great geographic distribution), we were just the first to not ignore it.

To overcome the very human instinct to go with what you know, you have to leave your little box, and see the rest of the world. That’s not easy, especially on a search for team excellence. The travel can be financially prohibitive (we had a gigantic travel budget when we were at ESPN, because we were there during the company’s hey day) and it’s a grind. It’s much easier to comparison shop recruits because, with all the meat-market showcases and camps, the candidates literally come to you. Grab a hotdog, a seat cushion, and a Diet Dr. Pepper, and you’re good to go.

In making a case for Rainier Beach’s national relevancy, I’ve put eyes on other teams, albeit on video, which is the next best thing to being there. The best teams usually have the best players, so I’ve watched Jordan Smith Jr. play with St. Paul VI, which, in Part I, I determined to be the No. 1 seed in my mythical “national championship” field. The second or third best recruit in the 2026 class, Smith of course is a fine player. He’s smart, explosive, makes his teammates better, is well-built and, I’d judge, better than Stokes in using his body to create space for his shots and is the better defender.

Who do I think was a better player this season? All things being equal – and they weren’t, Stokes being 6 feet 8 and Smith 6-3 – I’d take the player who scored 63 points in a game and had a triple-double in a state tournament game, who made more spectacular plays, and whose team played more of a “national” schedule. And if I didn’t forget the legacy of basketball distinction in Seattle and assume Rainier Beach didn’t play a bunch of nobodies … who do you think?

People can sew underestimation onto a team, the same way they can a player. That’s why I’ve shifted the focus, for this piece, on national relevancy to Stokes – to make the same point about Rainier Beach. I’m not sure the outside world saw how the Vikings absolutely flattened their state tournament opposition. I think resentment and anti-frontrunner bias led some people to declare the Stokes-led Vikings as inferior to the previous year’s version. And I think a lot of people believe that Stokes was “stopped” in the 3A state tournament.

If you can say that clubbing someone into submission was “stopping” them in a contest, then I suppose Stokes was “stopped,” in that sense. Every coach who opposed Rainier Beach after the holiday break is guilty of reckless endangerment because they instructed their team to get physical in their defense of Stokes. That is, they charged a bunch of teenaged boys, who’ve no better grown into their bodies than grown into their minds, with meting out violence and determining for their young selves the optimal measure of such punishment.

By the time Rainier Beach played through the district playoffs, Stokes was experiencing back spasms, had welts on his body, and cuts in his lips for every elbow he took into his braced teeth. The brutality worsened in the Tacoma Dome – schools and coaching staffs justifying assault as a means of winning a trophy. When yang-talking Davion Shareef-Dulaneay leaped onto Stokes’ back in the championship game, the Viking star asked for a flagrant foul. The nearest referee reasoned that Shareef-Dulaneay simply bit on a very good Stokes head fake. But I was right there; the Lincoln of Tacoma sophomore did not try to avoid Stokes, he rather added force to the collision.

So when The Throne announced, “Rainier Beach will no longer compete … this year due to injuries,” it had to have been referring to Stokes as among the walking wounded. But I know this: The same “injured” Vikings, including Stokes, who gritted through three tournament games for a state championship certainly would have done the same with a “national championship” on the line.

And in all the games I watched across the country of very good teams playing other very good teams, including those involving Rainier Beach, the players went hard, but they didn’t cross the line as so many teams did against the Vikings inside the state of Washington. I’m confident in saying that the physical play Rainier Beach saw during the last couple months would not have been a factor in a national tournament. I’m equally confident in saying that the Vikings’ national aspirations were sabotaged, in no small part, by the small-mindedness of their in-state opposition.

PART III: After this detour to clarify the discourse on national perception and relevancy, I will continue the discussion of the mythical “national championship field,” and where and how Rainier Beach fits in.

Part I: Does Beach Belong in a National Field?

Back in the day, my staff at ESPN HoopGurlz was put in charge of ranking high-school girls basketball teams. It was called the Fab 50; yes, fifty teams! We took it seriously – so seriously that our internal rule, for both teams and players, is that we wouldn’t rank anybody someone on our staff hadn’t seen with their own two eyes. Most of the time, several us saw several of the candidate teams, often more than once.

That approach ensured context and a consistent perspective.

The approach that was prevalent at the time – and, I assume, mostly persists today – was one person calling a bunch of coaches for input. We thought such methodology introduced motive – ie., the higher my player or recruit is ranked, the better I look – and therefore tainted the process. Moreover, there was never a guarantee that a given coach had actually seen a team (or teams or players) they supposedly were evaluating.

I also was a co-founder and editor-in-chief at Scout.com (now 247) and managed the basketball and football recruiting experts for six years, so am familiar with process of ranking prospects for men’s college sports.

One of the most important variables in putting together rankings is the result of head-to-head matchups. To that end, ESPN HoopGurlz became associated with big national and regional tournaments (ie., “Tournament of Champions”) and urged the best projected teams be invited, then we lobbied those teams to accept the invitations. The result was elite-level competition that had a huge, demonstrable impact on deciding the top teams in the country.

The Throne, which tips off Thursday in New Jersey, has little of the above elements – and the fact that the back-to-back Washington state 3A champion Rainier Beach Vikings were disinvited from the tournament should cast no negative light on the Seattle team or any of its players.

In fact, the Vikings are entitled to breathe a sigh of relief that they did not continue practicing, fly all the way across the country, and play against the level of competition that awaited them. The Throne calls itself a “national championship,” but it falls short of that. Winning such a tournament would have bolstered a Rainier Beach claim to being the best team in the land, but it would not have provided any iron-clad arguments.

I don’t know what criteria The Throne applied to its eight invitees to the boys tournament, but marketing certainly was an important one. It focused a lot of its social-media campaign on Tyran Stokes, the Rainier Beach superstar who also is the consensus No. 1 college recruit in the country. After disinviting the Vikings, The Throne shifted a lot of marketing elbow grease into a “battle for New Jersey,” matching Beach’s replacement, Plainfield, against Bergen Catholic, which would have been the Vikings’ first-round opponent.

Ticket sales matter, I suppose. But, as far as national implications, neither Jersey team is ranked in any of the prominent national polls -- Rivals composite (as of March 9), MaxPreps (March 18), Sports Illustrated (March 18), USA Today (March 15), or ESPN (March 10). Another Throne entrant, Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.), is a previous winner of the tournament, but it also is not ranked in the aforementioned polls and, as far as my research could tell, enters the competition with an extremely uninspiring 12-12 record (note: the compilation of game results often are reliant on teams that are less-than-diligent about reporting them).

The Throne field is led by two legit national contenders in Cavalry Christian of Fort Lauderdale, FL, and Sunnyslope of Phoenix, AZ. As reflected in their original seeding at No. 3, the Vikings are, on paper, more highly regarded in national polls than any of the remaining five teams in The Throne tournament. Throne teams that are unranked in two or more polls eliminates all but Wheeler of Marietta, GA.

My examination of the five most prominent national rankings uncovered five teams, plus Rainier Beach, that would supplant Wheeler in a true “national championship” field. I chose the big-brand polls to exclude my own bias from this process, plus gain a diversity of credible opinions. Even polls have points of view; MaxPreps, for example, apparently does not rank sports academies (eg., Prolific Prep and AZ Compass Prep), so I assigned each school’s lowest ranking among the other polls, plus added one, to keep them in an expected range.

Below is a field I’d expect for any tournament marketing itself as a “national championship.” The seedings are based on an average ranking of the five big-brand national polls. For this exercise, I’m not diving into the academy vs. private vs. public school debate; I’m choosing the top eight high-school boys basketball teams for a single-elimination “national championship” tournament. Teams in bold face are in the current The Throne field.

1. St. Paul VI Catholic (Chantily, VA), 33-2

Rivals (1), MaxPreps (1), SI (3), USA Today (1), ESPN (7) = 2.6

2. Prolific Prep (Fort Lauderdale, FL), 36-3

Rivals (9), MaxPreps (10*), SI (2), USA Today (8), ESPN (3) = 4.4 avg

3. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, CA), 30-1

Rivals (2), MaxPreps (3), SI (5), USA Today (3), ESPN (11) = 5.0 avg

4. Calvary Christian Academy (Fort Lauderdale, FL), 24-1

Rivals (3), MaxPreps (2), SI (7), USA Today (2), ESPN (12) = 5.2 avg

5. AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, AZ), 18-5

Rivals (10), MaxPreps (11*), SI (6), USA Today (5), ESPN (1) = 6.6 avg

6. Sunnyslope (Phoenix, AZ), 28-2

Rivals (5), MaxPreps (5), SI (16), USA Today (6), ESPN (21) = 10.6 avg

7. Montverde Academy (Montverde, FL), 21-6

Rivals (13), MaxPreps (23), SI (11), USA Today (22), ESPN (2) = 14.2 avg

8. Rainier Beach (Seattle, WA ), 29-1

Rivals (7), MaxPreps (12), SI (12), USA Today (16), ESPN (25) = 14.4 avg

Alternate:

Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.), 27-6

Rivals (23), MaxPreps (10), SI (21), USA Today (25), ESPN (23) = 20.4 avg

Would they all come, if you simply invited them? Not necessarily. However, programs this high-achieving likely would want to compete against other high-achieving programs and get their just due. As I implied at the beginning of the piece, it would require some work.

If you bill yourself as a “national championship,” you obligate yourself to doing the work, especially if you are backed, as The Throne is, by the union representing NBA players and a national marketing and event production firm.

PART II: I will use video research, personnel assessment, and what I’ve ascertained from a season of covering the Rainier Beach High School boys basketball team.

Part II: In-State Rivals Wrong for Battering Stokes and his team’s rep

The latest bracket for a national high-school basketball tournament no longer lists Seattle’s Rainier Beach High School boys’ basketball team, and Viking coach Mike Bethea confirmed that his team’s invitation was withdrawn on Sunday.

The back-to-back Washington State 3A champions were scheduled to play in The Throne, a tournament produced by the NBPA, the union representing NBA players, and Gold Level Sports and Entertainment, starting on Thursday, March 19, in East Rutherford, N.J.

Neither the NBPA (National Basketball Players Association) nor Gold Level have yet responded to inquiries about Rainier Beach’s status in their tournament.

In their most recent game, the Vikings overwhelmed Lincoln of Tacoma 75-53 in the State 3A championship game on Saturday, March 7.

The Throne is marketed as a “national championship.” Rainier Beach is ranked 7th in the country in Rivals.com’s composite rankings (including Massey, MaxPreps, ESPN and Sports Illustrated), 12th by Max Preps, 13th in SI’s Power 25, and 16th in USA Today’s Super 25. At least half of the current field in The Throne is ranked lower than the Vikings in one or more of those polls.

As of this writing, the Throne field includes Calvary Christian (Fort Lauderdale, FL), Sunnyslope (Phoenix, AZ), Plainfield (NJ), Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.), Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.), Bergen Catholic (Oradel, NJ), Columbus (Miami, FL), and Heritage (Frisco, TX).

Rainier Beach was listed as the No. 3 seed in the original press release announcement of invited teams. The Vikings also have been touted as an invitee on The Throne’s Instagram account, including a post reminding that only five days remained until the start of the tournament. Beach had been listed as playing Bergen Catholic at 8 p.m. (EDT) on the first day of competition in the knockout event. Both teams no longer are represented on the tournament bracket.

Vikings star Tyran Stokes, a McDonald’s All-American, finalist for several national player of the year awards, and the consensus top senior recruit in the country, has been an obvious marketing focus. His likeness has appeared on at least six posts marketing the tournament.

Check back here or on our Instagram account for further developments.

Kam Babbs jumps so high, his Rainier Beach Vikings just love to lob the ball so he can catch and dunk it. They did it all the time in practice.

All … the … time …

Tyran Stokes even launched lobs virtually the length of the court — during games.

But there are consequences to such high-altitude theatrics. Air sickness isn’t one of them; the forays don’t last that long. Neither is oxygen deprivation; Babbs doesn’t get that high.

The problem: Babbs isn’t fixed in space, but the equipment on a basketball court is. Especially the backboard. And, if a teammate’s aim is even a little off, Babbs can encounter turbulence, real hard turbulence.

Babbs’ battles with the backboard were observed during the state 3A semifinals and finals. He lost one, but he emerged from the tournament a champion — and relatively unscathed.

Kam Babbs otherwise remains one of the most grounded Rainier Beach Viking.

BEACH AT STATE 3A

3A Notes: JJ’s 20 Points, the White Board, and More

Three Viks are First Team All-Tourney

Rainier Beach Dominates Lincoln

More Micah and Babbs

The Shoes of Ili-Meneese Make a Difference

Viks Led by a Freshman and a Sixth Man

An Irish Heater for Webster

Three Generations of Family Connection

Next for Beach: O’Dea Part V?

Defending Champs Earn Top Seed

Degree of Difficulty

TACOMA – Some games are won before they even start. The Rainier Beach Vikings checked into their Tacoma Dome locker room on Saturday night to find a message scrawled on their white board.

It said something like, “Davion (Shareef-Dulanaey) is No. 1, Tyran (Stokes) sucks, we’re here to take the ‘ship,” according to Micah Ili-Meneese, who was the outstanding player in the State 3A Tournament.

Rainier Beach essentially called “game” against Lincoln of Tacoma right then and there.

Read Full Story at the South Seattle Emerald

Upon further review, JJ Crawford’s team-leading 18 points during Rainier Beach’s State 3A championship-game victory was actually 20 points, making him the game’s leading scorer. Lincoln’s Davion Shareef-Dulanaey had 18 points in his team’s 75-53 loss on Saturday in the Tacoma Dome.

Update: We presented the WIAA with the receipts, and they changed the total, officially on Monday. It turns out, Crawford’s dunk late in the second quarter was mistakenly attributed to teammate Kam Babbs.

The Viking freshman’s point total was widely reported, including by me, as 18 points because that is what appeared in the official box score, distributed after the game.

However, in my notes I logged seven field goals (three pull-up jumpers, two dunks, a reverse layup, a follow off a missed dunk), and two 3-pointers. That equals 20 points. Also, the main scoreboard at the Tacoma Dome showed 20 points for Crawford, and the announcers on the NFHS broadcast, who get their statistics from the WIAA scorer, announced 20 points. Video from the game (below) also shows 20 points.

Those two points boost Crawford’s tournament scoring average to 15.0, 13^th among all players.

The WIAA has updated the box score, including the link on their detailed bracket.

The Notorious Wipe Board

As I wrote in the South Seattle Emerald, the Vikings were motivated by a message left in their locker room, presumably by the Abes, before the championship game. Players, coaches, and school staff are the only ones who have access, even to the corridor leading to the Tacoma Dome locker rooms.

“It said something like, ‘Davion (Shareef-Dulanaey) is No. 1, Tyran (Stokes) sucks, we’re here to take the ‘ship’,” I wrote, based on the recollection of Micah Illi-Meneese, who was recalling during a raucous championship celebration.

According to a photo from the Rainier Beach party (below), the message actually said, “Davion coming for that Chip. (Tyran) Stokes Fake number 1.”

The prank clearly blew up in the Abes’ faces.

In retaliation, the Rainier Beach defense suffocated the Abes offense. Lincoln’s first point, on a Shareef-Dulanaey free throw, did come until nearly four minutes had elapsed. Lincoln’s first field goal, by Justus Holt, did not come until 39.3 seconds remained in the first period.

The Vikings led 38-8 at halftime. They limited the Abes to 30.8% shooting for the game, forced them into 19 turnovers, and blocked seven of their shots.

Vikings Standings in Tournament Stats

Predictably, Rainier Beach, the team and its players, shined in many statistical rankings for the State 3A Tournament.

As a team, Rainier Beach averaged 77.0 points and gave up an average of 56.7, for a 20.3-point average margin of victory. The Vikings led all teams in field-goal% (54.1), points in the paint (56), assists (49), steals (46), blocks (16), productivity (285), points in a single game (85 vs O’Dea), FG% in a single game (62.7 vs O’Dea), 3-point% in a game (63.6 vs O’Dea), and assists in a game (22 vs O’Dea). Beach had an overwhelming advantage in steals; No. 2 Eastside Catholic was a whole 15 lower at 31.

The productivity statistic gives positive credit for points scored, rebounds, steals, blocks, assists, fouls drawn and charges taken. Credit decreases for “negative stats,” including turnovers, missed shots, missed free throws, and fouls.

Individual categories were dominated by Viking senior Tyran Stokes and junior Micah Ili-Meneese.

For the tournament, Stokes ranked first in productivity (88.5), first by a large margin in assists (6.67 per game; No. 2 Kolven Posey of Auburn Mountainview had a single game with 5), first in total assists (20), No. 1 with most assists in a game (11), third in defensive rebounding (6.67 pg), third in free throws (16), third in defensive rebounds (20), fourth in total rebounding (8.33 pg), fourth in points scored (55), fourth in total rebounds (25), fifth in steals (2.7), sixth in scoring (18.3), seventh in field goals (19), ninth in field-goal% (63.3), 18th in offensive rebounds (9), 21st in minutes (76), 23^rd in 3-point% (25.0), 26^th in offensive rebounds (1.66 pg), and 33^rd in free-throw% (57.1).

Whew.

Ili-Meneese led the tournament in steals (4.7 pg), total steals (14), field-goal% (75.0), field goals made (27), most steals in a single game (6) and ranked second in productivity (82.5), fourth in total points (62), fourth in scoring (20.7 pg), fourth in defensive rebounds (4.0 pg), seventh in offensive rebounding (3.0 pg), eighth in offensive rebounds (9), ninth in blocks (1.3), 10th in defensive rebounds (12), 10th in total rebounds (21), 11^th in total rebounding (7.0), 11th in total assists (7), 13th in defensive rebounding (4.0), 13th in free throws (6), 15^th in assists (2.33), 18^th in minutes played, 23^rd in free-throw% (66.7), and 23^rd in blocks (1.0).

Crawford finished sixth in 3-pointers made (7), ninth in assists (3.0 pg), ninth in field goals made (18), 13^th in scoring (15.0), 16th in productivity (36.5) and 19^th in 3-point% (29.2)

Other Vikings who ranked include junior Kam Babbs, who was fifth in 3-point% (50.0), seventh in steals (2.0 pg), 15^th in free-throw% (75.0), 16^th in 3-pointers (3), 20^th in field-goal% (50.0), and 26^th in offensive rebounds (1.66 pg). Junior KJ Hightower was seventh in field-goal% (64.3), 14^th in free-throw% (75.0), and 25^th in steals (1.0).

Wes Armstrong, a junior, finished fifth in field-goal% (64.3), 25^th in steals (1.0), and 29^th in free-throw% (60.0). Knowledge Wright, a sophomore, was No. 16 in steals (1.67) and Marques Ili-Meneese, a senior, was 20^th in defensive rebounding (3.3).

BEACH AT STATE 3A

Three Viks are First Team All-Tourney

Rainier Beach Dominates Lincoln

More Micah and Babbs

The Shoes of Ili-Meneese Make a Difference

Viks Led by a Freshman and a Sixth Man

An Irish Heater for Webster

Three Generations of Family Connection

Next for Beach: O’Dea Part V?

Defending Champs Earn Top Seed

Degree of Difficulty

Wrapping up the rest of the WIAA State 3A boys basketball championships, March 4-7, at the Tacoma Dome.

BEACH BOYZ BUZZ 3A ALL-TOURNAMENT

First Team

MVP: Micah Ili-Meneese, Rainier Beach

JJ Crawford, Rainier Beach

Tyran Stokes, Rainier Beach

Dennis Karl, Edmonds-Woodway

Davion Shareef-Dulanaey, Lincoln

Second Team

Jaden Ghoreishi, Mt. Spokane

Tytan McNeal, Eastside Catholic

Elliott Stephenson, Bellarmine Prep

Jackson Skaggs, Bellevue

Brian Webster, O’Dea

SATURDAY’S PLACEMENT GAMES

Even though the 2-0-6 reigned supreme through Rainier Beach’s championship, the 2-5-3 did snap up the next two places.

A day after losing to the Vikings, fifth-seeded Bellarmine Prep got 22 points from guard Elliott Stevenson and 19 points from forward Ben Heisel to defeat No. 4 Eastside Catholic 83-78 to claim third place in the 3A tournament.

The Crusaders got 23 points from Steven Sun and 22 from Tytan McNeal, but could not overcome the absence of Yabi Aklog, who was ejected from their semifinal on Friday night. Eastside Catholic blew an 11-point lead to Lincoln, which got a game-winning three and game-saving block from Davion Shareef-Dunlanaey.

Jaden Ghoreishi had 21 points and 12 rebounds as third seeded Mt. Spokane beat 11th-seeded Edmonds-Wooday 59-30 to claim fourth place in the tournament. Edmonds-Wooday shot only 29.7% from the field.

State 3A Final Placings (original seeding)

1. Rainier Beach (1)

2. Lincoln of Tacoma (7)

3. Bellarmine Prep (5)

4. Mt. Spokane (3)

5. Eastside Catholic (4)

6. Edmonds-Woodway (11)

BEACH AT STATE 3A

Rainier Beach Dominates Lincoln

More Micah and Babbs

The Shoes of Ili-Meneese Make a Difference

Viks Led by a Freshman and a Sixth Man

An Irish Heater for Webster

Three Generations of Family Connection

Next for Beach: O’Dea Part V?

Defending Champs Earn Top Seed

Degree of Difficulty

Sometimes when Rainier Beach Vikings coach Mike Bethea peers out on a basketball court, he can’t help but feel that he is looking at a mirror into his past. The two teenaged brothers out there today are in their second year with him. Twenty years ago, he coached their father. Fifty years ago, and for decades after, he played with their grandfather.

Thing is, you can draw a through line from Jerry Meneese in 1975 to Tremaine Meneese in 2006 to Marques, a senior, and Micah, a junior, today. You might say their style of play – call them the clean-up crew – is the Meneese family business. They all rebound, they all hustle, they all know their roles, they’ve all been relatively unsung, and Bethea, in one way or another, has been a beneficiary.

“You coach all the kids the same, but it’s just something different about a kid that you have a relationship with their parents and grandparents,” Bethea said wistfully after a recent practice. “It’s just like playing with those guys. Like playing with Jerry again or coaching Tremaine again.”

Read the Full Story at the South Seattle Emerald

BEACH AT STATE 3A

Rainier Beach Dominates Lincoln

More Micah and Babbs

The Shoes of Ili-Meneese Make a Difference

Viks Led by a Freshman and a Sixth Man

An Irish Heater for Webster

Three Generations of Family Connection

Next for Beach: O’Dea Part V?

Defending Champs Earn Top Seed

Degree of Difficulty

As opposing defenses continue to brutalize Rainier Beach senior Tyran Stokes, a couple Viking underclassmen provided the aerial fireworks during a 71-49 State 3A semifinal victory over Bellarmine Prep on Friday.

Junior Micah Ili-Meneese, nicknamed “Micah Jordan” by his fans, showed why with a 30-point outing that included two 3-pointers, 14-of-17 shooting and 6 steals. Another junior, Kam Babbs, continued his stellar play as the team’s “sixth starter,” and had the game’s most scintillating play.

The win sends the Vikings to the championship game on Saturday, 7 p.m., against Lincoln in the Tacoma Dome. Beach is vying to defend last year’s 3A title, which would give the school 11 all-time and coach Mike Bethea his 10th.

The following are several individual images stitched into timelapse videos to take you inside some of the impressive plays against the Lions.

Micah steal and slam:

Kam Babbs’ spectacular dash and dunk:

Micah prototypical slash:

BEACH AT STATE 3A

The Shoes of Ili-Meneese Make a Difference

Viks Led by a Freshman and a Sixth Man

An Irish Heater for Webster

Next for Beach: O’Dea Part V?

Degree of Difficulty

3A FAN GUIDES

Fan Guide: How 3A is Won

Fan Guide: 5 to Watch

Fan Guide: The Basics

Check out Wednesday’s South Seattle Emerald for Beach’s “Family Business”

TACOMA – It must have been the shoes.

Not in the Mars Blackmon Nike commercial sense. But the shoe deal that Micah and Marques Ili-Meneese have with their uncle: Score 30 points and get a new pair of sneakers. That uncle had better get his credit card ready.

The younger of his nephews, junior Micah Ili-Meneese, had a game for the ages, hitting 14 of 17 shots, including two 3-pointers without a miss, for a career-high 30 points in Rainier Beach’s 71-49 victory over Bellarmine Prep on Friday.

The victory sends the Vikings, 28-1, to a Seattle vs. Tacoma championship game against Lincoln (Tacoma) in the Tacoma Dome, 7 p.m. on Saturday. The Vikings are seeking back-to-back titles, which would be No. 10 for coach Mike Bethea and 11 for the school.

Lincoln sophomore Davion Shareef-Dulaney hit a 3-pointer with 1:09 remaining, then blocked a shot by Eastside’s Micah Rouson at the buzzer to lead the No. 7 Abes to a 64-62 win over No. 4 Eastside Catholic. Shareef-Dulaney had 32 points, including 6 threes. Eastside’s All-League center, Yabi Aklog, was ejected from the game with 1:07 left in the first half.

So Ili-Meneese couldn’t have had better timing. Beach star Tyran Stokes seems to be held together with duct tape at this point. He played with a brace on his left wrist, a healing brace on his back during timeouts, and numerous body blows administered by his Lion defenders. Stokes had a season-low 15 points, the final two collected on free throws after a flagrant foul sent him careening into baseline photographers with 3 minutes, 15 seconds to play.

What’s more, his team got off to what’s becoming a characteristically slow start. Bethea applied defensive pressure a little earlier than usual and it was like nectar for Ili-Meneese. He got his hands on what seemed like every Bellarmine Prep dribble and pass and created pace for and ignited the Viking offense.

Ili-Meneese was credited with 6 steals against Bellarmine Prep, a total that seemed far short of reality. He had a similar impact the day before against O’Dea, contributing 17 points, 6 rebounds, 6 steals, and 5 assists. He is shooting an MVP-pace 20 of 24 (83.3%), to go with 47 total points, in two tournament games.

“Micah is just doing it all,” Bethea said. “I’m so happy for him. He’s kind of been that glue guy for us down here. He was here last year and played a big role. He’s making the big plays when the big plays need to be made.”

If Ili-Meneese jump-started the Rainier Beach offense with his defense, no Viking was a bigger beneficiary than himself. He had two steals, one he transported for a bucket, during a 10-0, second-quarter feeding frenzy that gave Beach a 25-15 lead it would not relinquish.

Ili-Meneese was feeling so good that, standing behind the 3-point line with seconds melting away in the first half, he let loose and upped his total to 11 second-quarter points.

“I work on that shot,” Ili-Meneese said. “I don’t usually take it, but I know I can make it. … My defense really woke me up on the offensive side, helped me get into a rhythm.”

Bellarmine Prep shocked Beach 59-57 in last year’s Round 2, forcing the Vikings to play an extra tournament game to collect their title. During Friday’s semifinal, Rainier Beach held Bellarmine Prep, the No. 5 seed this time, to just 33.3% shooting and forced the Lions into 24 turnovers.

On the bench with 23 points early in the fourth quarter, Ili-Meneese gestured to Bethea that he was ready to go back in. Bethea said he thought Ili-Meneese was joking, but that he was playing so well, he complied. The 6-foot-4 guard immediately drilled his second 3-pointer.

At that point, he was gesturing back and forth with the most excited fan in the Tacoma Dome, his brother Marques. “I was telling him he was close to 30 points,” the elder Ili-Meneese said, in turn reminding his brother of the shoe deal.

No problem. Micah Ili-Meneese followed up his 3-pointer with two straight inside hoops to get to 30 points, just like that. Afterward, he was asked how cool it was to set a career high in a state tournament semifinal.

“I mean, that’s cool,” he responded, “but I’m not done yet. I have one more game to finish.” He and his brother Marques are the only holdovers from last year’s championship team.

Ili-Meneese may have appeared in need of a new pair of sneakers. He played Friday’s game with a neon green shoe on his left foot and neon orange on his right. But that was on purpose, a suggestion by assistant coach Dave King.

As for what kind of shoes he wants from his uncle, Ili-Meneese said he’s got to think about it.

“I have to go look at the shoe stores,” he said, “and see what’s available.”

After an afternoon like Friday’s, a world of possibilities seem open to him and the Vikings.

BEACH AT STATE 3A

Viks Led by a Freshman and a Sixth Man

An Irish Heater for Webster

Next for Beach: O’Dea Part V?

Degree of Difficulty

3A FAN GUIDES

Fan Guide: How 3A is Won

Fan Guide: 5 to Watch

Fan Guide: The Basics

Check out Wednesday’s South Seattle Emerald for Beach’s “Family Business”

TACOMA – The Rainier Beach Vikings had an early wakeup call on Thursday, but it didn’t come on the court, as you might expect with a basketball team. It came from alarm clocks and parents all over south Seattle. They had to get up, get to school, and bus up to the Tacoma Dome for a State 3A quarterfinal game against their biggest rivals.

And, for the second time against O’Dea, the Vikings (27-1) started the game like they didn’t know how to play basketball. It’s been kind of a trend with them, not just against the Irish.

Asked after his team’s eventual 85-68 victory what it felt like in the desultory first half, Crawford said, “It felt like we were sleepy.”

He and Kam Babbs were better than any cup of coffee. With their team trailing 40-32 early in the third quarter, Babbs hit a 3-pointer, then blocked a shot that led to a Crawford run-out dunk. Crawford then closed out a 12-2 Beach run with a pair of threes, the second giving the Vikings their first lead, 44-42.

Two minutes later, Crawford was grabbed on a baseline cut by O’Dea’s Levi Orbino. Crawford shook him, buried a three, and started barking at the Irish point guard. When the Fighting Irish crowd got on him in the fourth quarter, Crawford pointed at the scoreboard. They’d seen this nightmare before.

When Rainier Beach came with its inevitable third-quarter rampage on Thursday, the Irish (19-6) looked almost accepting of their fifth straight defeat to the Vikings.

“Oh, just talking,” Crawford explained. “I was like, ‘I’m going to turn it up, just watch.’ “

True to his word, the freshman did not play like one, finishing with 18 points and three 3-pointers. That did not lead the team, as Tyran Stokes scored just six points in the first half, but finished with a super-quiet triple double – 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists – to go with a cut lip and several blows to his head and legs.

The win advances the top-seeded Vikings to the semifinals against No. 5 Bellarmine Prep at 3:45 p.m. on Friday. The Lions upset Rainier Beach last year in Round 2, forcing the Vikings to play an extra tournament game. Bellarmine Prep used its size and length, plus 18 points from guard Ronnie Wiggins, to beat No. 11 Edmonds-Woodway 60-48 in a quarterfinal game.

No. 4 Eastside Catholic, which Rainier Beach has defeated three times this season, is the highest seed left in the Vikings’ path. The Crusaders clamped down on No. 3 Mt. Spokane to produce a 53-37 victory. They complete a totally Seattle vs. Tacoma semifinals against Lincoln (Tacoma).

Defense, as usual, had a big hand in propelling the Vikings. They held O’Dea to 34.4% shooting in the second half. KJ Hightower was instrumental in squelching Irish star Brian Webster, who had just five points in the second half. O’Dea’s senior guard, who struck for 29 points against Shorewood on Wednesday, finished with 14 points against Beach on 3-of-13 shooting, plus three turnovers.

Micah Ili-Meneese had a typically metronomic 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Babbs had 13 points, a pair of 3-pointers, just one missed shot, and Rainier Beach would not have won had he not held the fort, offensively, in the first half.

“I can shoot,” Babbs said. “Honestly, I felt like I was going to make it every time I shot it, which is why I kept shooting. Those shots would help keep us in the game. I just want to win, you know?”

His coach sure does.

“He gave us energy,” coach Mike Bethea said of his junior wing. “He’s been doing that all year. I keep telling him: he’s not a sixth man for us, he’s a sixth starter.”

And an early starter, luckily for the Vikings.

BEACH AT STATE 3A

The Shoes of Ili-Meneese Make a Difference

An Irish Heater for Webster

Next for Beach: O’Dea Part V?

Degree of Difficulty

3A FAN GUIDES

Fan Guide: How 3A is Won

Fan Guide: 5 to Watch

Fan Guide: The Basics

Check out Wednesday’s South Seattle Emerald for Beach’s “Family Business”

TACOMA — If O’Dea’s Brian Webster were superstitious, he’d have bacon, potatoes, and eggs for breakfast before meeting top-seeded Rainier Beach at the Tacoma Dome on Thursday morning.

After all, that proved to be the breakfast of champions on Wednesday when Webster got out of bed feeling like his shot was on. That feeling never subsided as he scored the Fighting Irish’s first 12 points of their 62-52 victory over No. 10 seeded Shorewood.

That win sets up a re-re-re-re-rematch (that’s five) against Rainier Beach in the state 3A quarterfinals at 10:30 a.m. It was widely expected that this matchup would take place in the state championship game. O’Dea (19-6), the No. 2 seed, dashed that by losing to Lincoln (Tacoma) 71-58 in Round 2 last week.

“We were definitely upset, frustrated,” Webster said. “But it is what it is. It’s part of basketball.”

His quick start was part of his determination that his team didn’t get knocked farther off track.

Webster finished with 29 points, hitting 8 of his shots inside the 3-point line.

“They (his teammates) build off my energy, so I try to get them going because they need me,” the senior guard said afterward.

Did they ever. Despite Webster’s fireworks, the Irish were never quite able to shake the Stormrays, whose largest deficit was 13 points. The Marlows, sophomore Tyler (20 points) and Jaden (12) wouldn’t let them.

Shorewood’s lack of long-distance shooting was its undoing. Webster had four threes to just one for the Stormrays. And that was the difference on the scoreboard.

Even with coach Jason Kerr urging them to, “attack … attack … attack,” the Irish were unable to run the less-athletic Stormrays off the court. That transition weakness is something the Vikings no doubt will look to exploit.

As for his team’s 0-4 mark against Rainier Beach (26-1) this season, Webster didn’t seem concerned. After all, his 40-foot bomb near the end of the game at Rainier Beach on Jan. 15 could have set the stage for an upset. However, KJ Hightower’s layup with seconds left gave the Vikings the hard-fought victory.

The last matchup, for the District 2 title, O’Dea exploited Rainier Beach’s propensity for slow starts. They held the Vikings to just four points in the first quarter, built a 16-point lead early in the second quarter, and didn’t yield a basket to Beach star Tyran Stokes until 125.6 seconds remained in the first half.

Sill, Rainier Beach rallied for a 56-47 win.

“We’re excited,” Webster said. “We’re ready to go. … We’ve got to bring the energy early, like we usually do. And then play defense and take care of the basketball.”

But he may not repeat Wednesday’s breakfast menu. Webster says he’s not superstitious.

BEACH AT STATE 3A

The Shoes of Ili-Meneese Make a Difference

Viks Led by a Freshman and a Sixth Man

Next for Beach: O’Dea Part V?

Degree of Difficulty

3A FAN GUIDES

Fan Guide: How 3A is Won

Fan Guide: 5 to Watch

Fan Guide: The Basics

Check out Wednesday’s South Seattle Emerald for Beach’s “Family Business”

The following is a re-ranking of the WIAA State 3A’s Final 12, what’s notable about them, and how I think they’ll do, with (original ranking in parenthese). The teams I didn’t see in person, I watched on video.

12. (11) Edmonds-Woodway: The Warriors have a shiny, fool’s gold type of 23-2 record. Those two losses are to Shorewood. Junior combo G Grant Williams can score (32 points in Round 2 win over Enumclaw) and senior G DJ Karl pitches in 15 points per game, but senior guard Cruz Escandon, a WSU commit (baseball) may miss the game for leaving the bench during a scuffle against Enumclaw.

11. (10) Shorewood: They have a cool nickname — the Stormrays — and defensive toughness, but they also have the misfortune of meeting an O’Dea team aching for redemption. The Shorewood boys haven’t advanced to the Tacoma Dome for 38 years, so making this game is an accomplishment. They beat Edmonds-Woodway 2 of 3 this season, giving them the edge in these re-rankings.

10. (8) Bellevue: The Wolverines gave O’Dea a tussle in districts, hurting the Irish with their 2-2-1 trap. Then they got rolled by two other Metro League teams, Eastside Catholic and Rainier Beach. If you can’t beat Seattle, you can’t win state. Bellevue has three pretty good players — Jackson Skaggs is steadiest with 18 ppg, Taten Jones adds 16 ppg, and Nicolas Norrah is the best athlete, but too often plays with indifference.

9. (4) Eastside Catholic: If the Crusaders maneuvered away from the Rainier Beach side of the bracket, as many think, they probably played with too much with fire in an already uneven season. I have an inkling they will get upset by Liberty, but, if they don’t, they probably could actually make the semis against Lincoln. Yabi Aklog is mechanical and sometimes dominates the ball too much and that won’t play against Mt. Spokane’s front court.

8. (12) Liberty: It would be exciting to watch Jackson Whitaker take the Patriots a couple rounds into the bracket. That would mean he provided offensive fireworks the likes of shooting past Garfield, Seattle Prep, and Central Valley to reach the Tacoma Dome. He’d have to do so against Eastside Catholic’s Tytan McNeal, the Metro League’s defensive player of the year. Senior guard Mason Chin and Tyson Burley both chip in 14 ppg.

7. (5) Bellarmine Prep: The Lions shocked Rainier Beach last year and, time was, it could be argued that the Lions were the 2nd or 3rd best team in the state this year. But they lost shooter extraordinaire Kade Price to an ACL tear and, though they shocked Eastside Catholic in Round 2, they have fallen below fellow Tacomans Lincoln at this point in the season. G Ronnie Wiggins is a dynamic scorer and Ben and Luke Heisel provide inside presence.

6. (9) Auburn Mountainview: The Lions get up and down the court, play tough defense, and have a smooth, explosive scorer in lefty senior Kolven Posey. That should be enough to get by Bellevue, but they hit a roadblock in the Abes from Lincoln in the quarterfinals. Auburn Mountainview opened its doors in 2006 and this is its first trip to the Tacoma Dome. The Lions are a good bet for a placement in their debut visit.

5. (2) O’Dea: Maybe the Irish have the second-best team in the state, but they won’t be able to prove it. Their disastrous loss to Lincoln means they meet Rainier Beach in the quarters, assuming they take care of Shorewood in the round of 12. But the fourth time won’t be a charm against the Vikings. O’Dea cannot run with Beach, forcing the Irish to go smaller, which is too smaller than the Vikings’ “small,” so they get bullied by Tyran Stokes and now RB has JJ Crawford for good measure.

4. (6) Prairie: Hidden away in the southwestern part of the state, the Falcons are a team nobody sees coming. They’ve got 6-8 senior Carson Morningstar, who averages 24 points and 13 rebounds and was the Greater St. Helens League player of the year. Guard Ben Nkansah was the league’s defensive player of the year and Malachi Patton supplies outside firepower. They might find themselves in a semifinal date with Rainier Beach, against whom they are simply overmatched. A 24-point loss in January to Bellevue is a stain on their record.

3. (3) Mt.Spokane: It’s difficult to figure if the Wildcats are overrated because they dominate in a basketball no-man’s land. They have a very early season win over Bellarmine Prep at full strength, but a stretch of losses to three straight good teams — Mount Si, O’Dea, and Glacier Peak — is concerning. However, they held the fort all season while Colorado State commit Jaden Ghoreishi was out with blood clots in his lungs and 6-6 Tysen Lewis helped them do it, averaging 11 points, 6 boards. Now they form a formidable front-line tandem.

2. (7) Lincoln (Tacoma): O’Dea may have laid an egg during the Round 2 loss to Lincoln, but the Abes have been a train traveling downhill to position themselves to capitalize. They are a young team riding a wave of burgeoning confidence, enough to rock Auburn Mountainview, our sixth re-seed by 31 before taking down the Irish. Davion Shareef-Dulaney and Justus Holt are as good a sophomore combo as there is in the state, and the Abes are upstarts with a chip on their shoulders for playing second fiddle to Seattle teams.

1. (1) Rainier Beach: There’s just no way of seeing anyone likely in the Vikings’ path — Prairie, Bellarmine Prep, O’Dea, Mt. Spokane or Lincoln — have the wherewithal to bother them much. No team can match their overall size and length or speed. Tyran Stokes isn’t just the best prospect in his class, he’s the best player in the nation and, if all else fails, he can just put the Beach Boys on his back. With JJ Crawford back, and Marques and Micah Ili-Meneese vital contributors from last year’s champions, and a whole host of other talented underclassmen, this could be the easiest stretch of the season for Stokes.

BEACH AT STATE 3A

The Shoes of Ili-Meneese Make a Difference

Viks Led by a Freshman and a Sixth Man

An Irish Heater for Webster

Next for Beach: O’Dea Part V?

Degree of Difficulty

MORE 3A FAN GUIDES

Fan Guide: 5 to Watch

Fan Guide: The Basics

Watch Wednesday’s South Seattle Emerald for Beach’s “Family Business”

Five players to watch at the WIAA State 3A Tournament who don’t play for Rainier Beach High School. The players I did not see in person, I watched on video.

Jaden Ghoreishi, Mt. Spokane (6-foot-9 senior center)

Last year’s Greater Spokane League MVP missed the entire 2025-26 GSL season after being diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs. He returned for the Wildcats’ 59-53 victory over Prairie in Round 2, delivering 15 points and 9 rebounds off the bench. The Colorado State commit moves well, has handles so can take the ball off the board and transport it up court or catch it at the elbows and short corner to attack. Ghoreishi is slender and a decent shot blocker, but opposing posts can use body contact to create space.

Justus Holt, Lincoln Tacoma (6-5 sophomore forward)

Like his playing style, Holt has been like a freight train coming down the stretch and sparking the Abes to a quarterfinal spot in the tournament. He scored 23 points during Lincoln’s 71-58 upset of O’Dea. At this stage of his young career, he is a Charles Barkley-type, undersized power player who really took on the Fight Irish’s physicality with zeal and aplomb. Holt has a solid body, is a good inside finisher who can maneuver off the bounce from the foul line, and is difficult to stop on downhill drives.

Tytan McNeal, Eastside Catholic (6-5 sophomore wing)

McNeal is arguably the best athlete in the state. He averages 17 points and 8 rebounds, and is the Metro League Sound Division’s defensive player of the year. Even more notably, he is the consensus national No. 1 tight-end prospect in the 2028 class, with offers from the likes of Arizona, BYU, Cal, Florida, and Miami. Not surprisingly, on a basketball court, McNeal is a hyperactive force who can hit the three, put the ball on the deck and make plays, defend straight up and patrol passing lanes for run-out dunks.

Davion Shareef-Dulaney, Lincoln Tacoma (6-3 sophomore combo guard)

You’d swear Shareef-Dulaney was a poor’s man version of RB freshman JJ Crawford. He has the same lanky, spring-loaded body, flowing locks, and fluid, twitchy game. He had 42 points and 20 rebounds against Mount Tahoma. Teammate Holt is getting most of the flowers for the Abes’ upset of O’Dea, but Shareef-Dulaney can be spectacular at both ends and, like Crawford, likes shooting the three in movement, either off the bounce or stepping back. He’s already been offered by WSU, Boise State, Montana.

Jackson Whitaker, Liberty (6-3 senior guard)

Whitaker is the tournament’s gas station attendant – he can fill ‘er up. The Seattle Pacific commit not only hit 43 points in a 79-69 win over Seattle Prep that put Liberty into the 3A bracket, he scored 52 in a 86-50 victory over Tennyson (Ca.), including 40 in the first half, has scored 2,000 career points, and averaged more than 25 points in his junior and senior seasons. He uses more change of speed and direction than explosion off the bounce, has a quick release spot-up three, is adept with either hand, and makes plays for his teammates.

BEACH AT STATE 3A

The Shoes of Ili-Meneese Make a Difference

Viks Led by a Freshman and a Sixth Man

An Irish Heater for Webster

Next for Beach: O’Dea Part V?

Degree of Difficulty

MORE 3A FAN GUIDES

Fan Guide: The Basics

Fan Guide: How 3A is Won

Watch Wednesday’s South Seattle Emerald for Beach’s “Family Business”

Here’s how to follow the Rainier Beach High School boys basketball team’s defense of their WIAA State 3A title at the Tacoma Dome this week. See what else is coming from me, and where to find it, at the end of this story.

SCHEDULE

The most interesting game to Viking fans in italics

Wednesday, March 4, Round of 12 (Loser Out)

The Vikings already have advanced to the quarterfinals the next day, but you might want to check in on their competition.

9 a.m., No. 11 Edmonds-Woodway vs. No. 6 Prairie

10:30 a.m., No. 10 Shorewood vs. No. 2 O’Dea (winner plays Beach)

12:15 p.m., No. 12 Liberty vs. No. 4 Eastside Catholic

2:00 p.m., No. 9 Auburn Mountainview vs. No. 8 Bellevue

Thursday, March 5, Quarterfinals

9 a.m., No. 5 Bellarmine Prep vs. Edmonds-Woodway or Prairie

10:30 a.m., No. 1 Rainier Beach vs. Shorewood or O’Dea

12:15 p.m., No. 3 Mt. Spokane vs. Liberty or Eastside Catholic

2:00 p.m., No. 7 Lincoln (Tacoma) vs. Auburn Mountainview or Bellevue

Friday, March 6, Semifinals

3:45 p.m., RBHS/Shorewood/O’Dea vs. Bellarmine/Edmonds/Prairie

5:30 p.m., Spokane/Liberty/Eastside vs. Lincoln/Auburn/Bellevue

Saturday, March 7, Championship

7:00 p.m., Who Else? vs. Who Cares

TICKETS

Get them at: https://www.wiaa.com/tickets

There will be some availability at the Tacoma Dome (buying in advance urged)

Adult // Student/Senior/Military

4-Day Pass (for those who want to see the Beach Boyz’s quarterfinal opponents and the rest of the tournament: $57 // $46 (+ Fees)

3-Day Pass (to view Beach Boyz every day): $44 // $35 (+Fees)

Single Day (to view chosen Beach games on March 4, 5, or 6): $16 //$ 13 (+Fees)

Single Day (Championship Day, March 7): $17 // 14 (+Fees)

STREAMING

All games will be streamed on the NFHS Network by subscription ($13.99 monthly or $79.99 annually, includes replays of tournament and regular-season games): https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/subscribe/retail

PARKING

Ranges from $15-$60 per vehicle in Tacoma Dome lots, paid via CameraPay, TextPay, of the Premium Parking app. More information: https://www.tacomadome.org/assets/doc/Tacoma-Dome-Mobile-Payment-Options-e0edfb5387.pdf

MORE FAN GUIDES COMING

Tuesday, March 3: How Beach Will Win 3A (at Beach Boyz Buzz)

Tuesday, March 3: Players to Watch at 3A (at Beach Boyz Buzz)

Wednesday, March 4: The Family Business (feature at South Seattle Emerald)

Watch for daily game stories at Beach Boyz Buzz and championship story at South Seattle Emerald.

Subscribe to Beach Boy Buzz, if you haven’t already, and stories will be sent directly to your inbox. In this case, subscribe does not equal pay. I just want to spread the word on this positive story for my community.

Follow: @beachboyzbuzz and @southseattleemerald on Instagram

MORE 3A FAN GUIDES

Fan Guide: Five to Watch

Fan Guide: How 3A is Won

Watch Wednesday’s South Seattle Emerald for Beach’s “Family Business”

In an unexpected twist, the first Tacoma Dome opponent for top-seeded Rainier Beach Viking next Thursday could be … wait for it … the team many expected them to face in the championship game.

The O’Dea Fighting Irish, Part V, anyone?

That’s the probable scenario because No. 2 seeded O’Dea was toppled by No. 7 Lincoln of Tacoma 71-58 in a Round 2 matchup Saturday night at Bellevue College.

First, the Irish, 19-8, will have to beat Shorewood in a loser-out, Round of 12 game on Wednesday, 10:30 a.m., at the Tacoma Dome. The No. 10 seeded Stormrays, 19-7, slipped past No. 18 Monroe, 51-48, on Friday night to advance.

It was the second straight night of Metro League-related intrigue. No. 4 Eastside Catholic lost in a mild upset, 60-59, to No. 5 Bellarmine Prep on Friday night. That means that if the Crusaders win their loser-out game against No. 12 Liberty on Wednesday, 12:15 p.m., at the Tacoma Dome, they will advance to the opposite side of the bracket to Beach and O’Dea.

During the regular season, the Vikings won 78-67 at O’Dea and 78-76 on KJ Hightower’s last-second layup at Rainier Beach. They beat the Irish 62-49 in the Metro League championship game, then rallied from a 20-4 deficit to take a 56-47 decision in the District 2 championship.

Viking freshman JJ Crawford did not play in the last two meetings. He returned to action for the first time since Jan. 23, scoring 15 points as Rainier Beach beat Bellevue 90-69 in Round 2 on Friday night.

BEACH AT STATE 3A

The Shoes of Ili-Meneese Make a Difference

Viks Led by a Freshman and a Sixth Man

An Irish Heater for Webster

Degree of Difficulty

3A FAN GUIDES

Fan Guide: How 3A is Won

Fan Guide: 5 to Watch

Fan Guide: The Basics

Check out Wednesday’s South Seattle Emerald for Beach’s “Family Business”

BELLEVUE – For the No. 1 Rainier Beach Vikings, the most difficult task of Friday night was not knocking off No. 8 Bellevue, 90-69, in Round 2 of the State 3A Tournament, it was getting out of the Bellevue College gymnasium.

When they departed their locker room some 15-20 minutes after the game, a wall of humanity awaited at the end of a corridor, the exits not even in sight. Someone held up a sign reading, “Tyran Give Me Your Jersey Please.” They were kids and parents and young adults, waiting for Tyran Stokes and JJ Crawford, the Vikings’ nationally touted stars.

It was determined that groups of kids could pass through for photos and autographs with the two. Into the night, the throng barely dissipated, determined not to be denied.

Beach didn’t do itself any favors, closing each half in spectacular fashion, teasing the sellout crowd into wishing for more. It was the in-between that was less captivating.

The Vikings, 27-1, weren’t as sterling as the final score indicated. They had an uneven outing, starting slow and sloppy, then made their usual defense-prompted burst, only to devolve at times into playing for style points, if not actual ones. Beach had 13 dunks (26 points), but Bellevue kept pace until imploding down the stretch with ten 3-pointers (30 points).

“Hopefully, we got our one bad outing out of the way,” coach Mike Bethea said. He was disappointed because his team had played more spirited, focused, and cohesive ball during the preceding week of practice.

Bethea reiterated complaints from the players about the Baden basketball used for Rainier Beach’s last two games. “We’ve been practicing all season with Nikes, so that’s on me,” he said.

The victory gives the Vikings an extra day to become more accustomed to the Baden balls as they advance straight to Thursday’s quarterfinals, 10:30 a.m., in the Tacoma Dome. They will play the winner in a loser-out game on Wednesday between No. 10 Shorewood and the loser of Saturday’s matchup of No. 2 O’Dea and No. 7 Lincoln of Tacoma.

In an interesting development, No. 4 Eastside Catholic lost in a mild upset, 60-59, to No. 5 Bellarmine Prep on Friday night. That means that if the Crusaders win their loser-out game on Wednesday, they will advance to the same side of the bracket as O’Dea and wouldn’t meet Rainier Beach until the championship game.

Against Bellevue, Stokes had 32 points and closed the half by dribbling down the clock, calling point guard Knowledge Wright over for a screen, then charged through the Wolverine defense for a thundering slam.

That play was exceeded by the game’s last. With the clock ticking down, Stokes transported the ball downcourt, went airborne, passed the ball through his legs and lobbed it to Crawford. The freshman, playing for the first time in over a month, caught the ball, hovered and lobbed it to Kam Babbs for a reverse dunk.

Overall, Bethea gave Crawford a “strong 6 ½ to 7” for his return from a right high-ankle sprain suffered on Jan. 23 – the points off for timing and a couple loose balls he’d normally corral. Conditioning-wise, Crawford said, “The first five minutes were terrible.”

Crawford scored his first basket, a closely guarded layup, 2 minutes, 33 seconds into the second quarter. “I just needed to see the ball go in,” helped Crawford find his rhythm and he finished with 15 points, including a dunk and a pair of 3-pointers.

Babbs, who had 12 points and an impressive array of dunks, and Achilles Reyna, who pitched in 10, gave the Vikings a boost off the bench, particularly in the second quarter.